Today, back to basics. Cooking 101 with Trinidad’s Pineapple Chow.
Lesson: After cutting a jalapeño, do not touch your face. Any part of your face. Not just your eyes. Your whole mug is off limits.
Oh, how I forgot.
I didn’t do it on purpose, but somewhere between the de-seeding and the dicing, I touched my face. My lips? I can’t quite remember at this point. This jalapeño almost killed me. My lips looked like Kim Kardashian’s in fullness and Snow White’s in color. My mouth was ON FIRE. I tried everything to make it stop: water, milk, toothpaste (bad idea), mouthwash (a worse one), sugar, ice cream. Literally chewing on a dishtowel.
Only time could heal my pain.
Turns out this was just one spicy motherlovin’ jalapeño. Even in the finished chow it packed a stronger than usual punch.
Anyway, that was just a warning to you all to not repeat my mistakes. Rather, let’s all learn from them. And talk about this pineapple chow.
Pineapple chow is a Trinidadian fave and is really little more than a fresh pineapple salsa of sorts. The difference is that it’s traditionally eaten sans chips. Just a big ole bowl and a spoon and you’re on your way.
In reality though, grab the chips, the fish, the chicken…the tacos, because I”m not sure this can do wrong. Nor could it be easier or more versatile. Don’t like pineapple? Use mango, though, best to let it be a little on the raw side like the Trinidadians do. Improvisation is your friend here, but only favorite fruits allowed.
Recipes abound out there, but I used a questionable looking plum to complete my mix of merely 6 ingredients.
Pineapple
Garlic
Cilantro
Mint
Lime
Plum
Jalapeno
Can you handle the heat?
(It really shouldn’t have been that hot. But, man!)
- 1 pound pineapple, cored, peeled and diced
- 1-2 plums, diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 6 mint leaves, julienned
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and diced
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- Throw it all in a bowl and give it a good mix. To let the juices really come together, let sit at room temp a few hours before serving.
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Pineapple Chow
Trinidad's pineapple chow is an easy to throw together salad or side dish with sweet pineapple and spicy peppers for the perfect yin and yang.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pineapple, cored, peeled and diced
- 1-2 plums, diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 6 mint leaves, julienned
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and diced
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
Directions
- Step 1 Throw it all in a bowl and give it a good mix. To let the juices really come together, let sit at room temp a few hours before serving.
oh..poor thing, but at least the pineapple chow looks worth all the pain :-))
Ha. It was. It was such a stupid mistake! Lesson learned!